Staff Profile

Career Summary

Biography

What inspires me professionally and personally is the search for solutions to persistent environmental problems. Given the increasing complexity of environmental issues, I focus my research, teaching and professional practice on approaches which address this complexity directly.

My work aims to build solutions which increase the resilience of communities and the natural environment they rely upon for their welfare. My research, teaching and professional practice explicitly uses holistic, systems thinking to address the limitations of current environmental management.

I have a background in the development of sustainability policy especially those aspects of policy which persistently hinder the implementation of appropriate policy and behavioural change. I am interested in approaches which allow decision makers to make robust and defensible policy choices given the likelihood that future uncertainty will increase.

My expertise in strategic planning for an uncertain future includes scenario and futures analysis, environmental modelling, robust policy development, collaborative learning, mechanisms for adaptive management and the explicit consideration of alternate explanations, values and perspectives. I am also interested in environmental governance and the benefits of particularly participatory processes.

Although I research Ecological Footprints (the demand we have on Earth’s resources), what I am really interested in is that my work can support the growth of our collective Ecological Handprint (the positive impact we can have on the planet).

Research

Research keywords

Research expertise

Key research skills and expertise:

1. Dynamic Modelling: My modelling repertoire not only includes that of modelling future Ecological Footprints but also other factors relevant to environmental management and sustainability such as climate change, land use demand, land degradation, biodiversity, surface water nutrient pollution sources and sources of diffuse air emissions.

2. Resilience Thinking: My work aims to build solutions which increase the resilience of communities and the natural environment they rely upon for their welfare. A shift away from linear thinking and the assumptions behind incremental, controllable change are needed to make environmental governance appropriate to modern environmental challenges. We must also consider the affects of multiple scales (time and space), multiple worldview and contested interests.

3. Climate change: my current research involves the modelling climate change for the development of scenarios to mitigate future dangerous climate change. Although incredibly complex, I aim to condense and communicate the core understanding needed for responsible decision making.

5. Uncertainty and futures analysis: There is much evidence that the uncertainty surrounding environmental decision making has resulted in a postponement of decisions that, in reality, are required very urgently. My expertise for strategic planning for uncertain environmental management includes scenario development, continual and iterative collaborative learning that adapts to new knowledge over time, incorporation of mechanisms for adaptive management and the explicit consideration of alternate explanations, values and perspectives.

6. Collaborative community engagement: Participatory decision making accounts for societal values and choices relating to management are highly divergent and contested issues. It is important that environmental policy is developed in collaboration with relevant stakeholders so that 1) different perspectives and worldviews can add value and allow the incorporation of critical uncertainties 2) different stakeholders can have ownership of decisions 3) different stakeholders can take part in a process of social learning to develop a shared understanding and 4) policy tradeoffs and benefits can be negotiated.

Languages

German

Fields of Research

Code

Description

Percentage

050200

Environmental Science And Management

40

160507

Environment Policy

30

120504

Land Use And Environmental Planning

30

Appointments

Fellowship APDISchool of Environmental and Life Sciences (Australia)

01/06/2007 - 01/01/2011

Awards

Teaching Award

2013

Online Teacher of the Year AwardNewcastle Postgraduate Students’ Association’s (NUPSA) (Australia)award is nominated by postgraduate students in any of University of Newcastle’s 60 online postgraduate coursework programs

2013

Sessional Academic of the Year Faculty of Science and Information Technology (Australia)FSCIT Faculty Staff Excellence Award

Teaching

Teaching keywords

complexity

ecosystem health

environmental management

participatory decision making

resilience

Teaching expertise

As a lecturer, I have extensive theoretical and practical experience in the field of environmental management which is highly diverse and I bring that expertise into my teaching. My background in environmental management and sustainability includes:

I apply best practice learning theory to all my teaching because I believe it has vocational relevance out there in the real world in environment, sustainability, ecosystem health and resilience practice. In particular I focus on:

1. Learner centred teaching – from my perspective it’s about learning not teaching. This slightly different perspective is subtle but critical. Basically this means that students will be explicitly practicing and implementing the theory that they learn through case studies and practical, vocationally relevant assessment tasks. Students are guided and supported throughout the course in achieving the learning but because this is a collaborative learning environment, students and lecturer together can all support each other in this learning. Assessments are deliberately set in such a way that they will require students to reflect on their own assumptions, question them and consider the views of other that may differ from their own worldviews;

2. Critical thinking – new university graduates are often criticized for not having the relevant practical skills required in the workforce to contribute autonomous expertise. Here we specifically address the critical thinking skills that you will need;

3. Collaborative learning–working together to help one another in the learning process –this provides a mutual benefit to all involved in learning – students and lecturers. It also replicates what occurs in the workforce;

4. Spontaneous learning – depends on what is currently happening, what students are involved and what their background/views are;

5. Personal learning - we all come with different experiences, backgrounds and worldviews. As the course progresses students have the chance to realise that this is actually the jewel in the crown behind collaborative learning. The collegial learning environment and individual learning will be enhanced if students are able consider, try and regularly use a number of personal learning approaches and perspectives which enable them to be reflective, proactive and appropriately responsive. I encourage students to be courageous enough to be open to views they disagree with and to question their own assumptions to get the most out of the courses I teach.

The courses I teach provide students with knowledge and practical skills which are much needed in the workforce given the growing complexity of environmental issues throughout the globe.

Lauck B, Tyler MJ, 'Ilial shaft curvature: A novel osteological feature distinguishing two closely related species of Australian frogs', TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, 123 151-152 (1999)